Local

U.S. Rep. Davis to Seek Re-election

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Ted Maguire

In a Downstate district described as “50-50,” U. S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) is seeking a second term.

Davis is a target, with a well-funded former Metro East judge, Ann Callis, on the Democratic ticket. And members of his own party are not giving him a pass, with Champaign-Urbana lawyer Erika Harold putting him into a Republican primary.

On his Springfield stop of a district-wide tour Monday, he defended his vote to de-fund the Affordable Care Act. “That is the only bill that I got a chance to vote on to avert a government shutdown,” he told reporters, “and ensure that our soldiers who are serving overseas, and their families, are able to continue to pay their mortgage and not get caught up in the political process.”

Davis, a longtime staffer to U. S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-Collinsville) before embarking on his own campaign, says he’s frustrated by the ACA, also called “Obamacare.” As the spouse of a cancer survivor, he’s wondering what’s ahead as he tries to sign up for an insurance exchange. He says the person in charge of handling benefits for members of Congress admits even he will miss a deadline to give information on how to sign up.